Page 95 of Sypher

“You can’t,” Shadow whispered, shaking his head. “You need two brothers to administer the blood oath.”

Looking at Shadow, then at Monk, I quirked my eyebrow and smiled. “That’s why you and Monk are here. Both of you are Golden by blood.”

“Oh fuck,” Monk groaned.

“You can’t,” Dante gasped, taking a step back, his face pale as he shook his head. “I’m only an intern. According to the bylaws, Storm has to be the one to do it. Montana will rip the brand off my back with his bare hands before he cuts out my heart. No. I won’t agree to this.”

“He’s right,” Kansas groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. “Without his sponsor, I can’t administer the brand.”

A knock at the door had me smiling. “It’s a good thing I thought of everything then.”

Walking over to it, I threw it open to find Storm standing on the other side, looking a bit put out.

Shaking the man’s hand, I smiled. “Took you long enough to get here.”

“Yeah, well, I’d like to see how well you fare walking away from a heavily pregnant wife and precocious daughter. It isn’t easy. Well, I’m here. What was so damn impor—” Storm started to ask, walking past me, only to stop dead in his tracks seeing everyone gathered in the living room. Turning slowly toward me, he asked, “This isn’t a social visit, is it?”

Shutting the door, I walked past the Soulless Sinner brother, slapping him on his back, before throwing my arm aroundDante’s shoulders and saying, “Hope you brought your branding iron, ‘cause you’re gonna need it.”

Dante gulped. “I want it on record that I am against this. Why can’t I just take Danika and hide? Wouldn’t that be easier than pissing Montana off?”

Kansas groaned and took a seat. Leaning forward, Kansas rubbed his hands down his face and added, “I don’t think you understand the gravity of the situation, Sypher. Branding Dante does nothing but put him on everyone’s radar, especially Montana’s. Wouldn’t it be better to sneak him and the kid out of the country somewhere so he could lie low until this whole fucked-up mess is over with?”

“I agree with Kansas,” Shadow spoke up. “Got love for you, but this is only endangering him more. Bad enough the table will be after him, but if Montana finds out what you’ve done, he could come for you. Then where would you be?”

“I can handle Montana.”

Kansas chuckled. “Yeah, you keep thinking that, kid, if it makes you feel better. The fact of the matter is, branding Dante serves no purpose.”

“Yes, it does,” Storm interjected. “It forces Reaper and Montana to work together.”

“Bullshit,” Monk grumbled. “Hell will freeze over before that shit happens and you know it, Storm.”

“We can all agree that no matter what we do, Dante is in danger. We brand him, or we don’t. That changes nothing. But if we could force Montana and Reaper’s hand, then they wouldn’t have a choice in the matter.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Storm?” Kansas snarked.

“I’m talking about connecting two major clubs by blood.”

“They are already connected by blood,” Shadow muttered. “Your wife is Golden, and if the rumors are true, Fury is as well.”

“They don’t count. The Biker Federation will only recognize a direct blood link to a sitting president,” Monk stated. “And last I knew, there was no such blood link between Montana and Reaper.”

I smiled.

“What if there was?”

“Was what?” Kansas looked up at me.

“What if I could prove there was a blood link?”

Kansas slowly got to his feet and sneered, “What the fuck are you talking about, Sypher? There is no blood link.”

“That’s not entirely true.”

“What?” Shadow asked, looking around the room. “Which part?”

“Don’t,” Dante whispered, getting my attention. “You promised to give him time to tell him himself.”

---